An Explosive Encounter
by TaisaJai
Summary: A small mission in Ishbal soon has disasterous concequences for Riza and Roy.
1. Hero

The harsh sun was beating down on them from above, yet nobody seemed to feel the full extent of the heat.  
The land around was a barren desert, littered with the ruins of once proud buildings. Further afield the land was strewn with bodies, but not near the main military encampment.  
Mustang, Hawkeye, Kimblee and others were all sat on boxes or stood talking in hushed conversations.  
Each of them had the same tired and almost helpless look in their eyes; except for one.  
"The dead scum have more to say then you lot." Kimblee remarked much to the distaste of others.  
"You do not need to be so crass. Have some respect for the Ishbalans." Mustang chastised with a frown; the pair had never really gotten along and this campaign was making it impossible to form a connection.  
"Why? We're killing them every day, the Fuhrer clearly doesn't think they are worth anything, or why would we be here?" Kimblee smirked, his hand coming up to brush his already bound black hair.  
"Because they are still people. Why should we treat them as anything less?" Mustang hissed.  
Kimblee merely smirked, leaning forward to rest his elbows onto his knees with a then look of boredom.

"Why do you care so much of them now, Flame Alchemist?" Kimblee's words were said with a smirk, his eyebrow raising up as he steepled his fingers while resting his chin on the tips of them gently.  
"You don't care when you click your fingers and send them to their death." He smirked as Mustang looked down with a hurt look on his features, his face creased in what looked like guilt.  
To the side, the girl, he didn't know her name, also looked the same. Her fists clenched as she looked to the dirt covered floor. Kimblee smirked, before then looking back to Mustang who had glanced to the girl then back to the floor.  
"I do what I am ordered; I don't do it because I enjoy it." The words were quiet from the man, something that made Kimblee laugh softly.  
"You're a liar and you know it. You're an alchemist. You have to like the feel of seeing your flames erupt form the tips of your fingers, seeing how the move to the way you want." He sighed, before leaning back to look at Mustang appraisingly.

"The 'Hero of Ishbal'... that's what they call you isn't it? Do you know why,_ Major_ Mustang?" Mustang looked up at Kimblee, a touch of guilt and sadness entering his black eyes while the other man meerly sneered.  
"Because before you arrived, the Ishbalan's were slaughtering our men. Then you came with your wonderful alchemy, and you have killed, so many of them now." Mustang's head bowed low again, his body shuddering just slightly as though he was crying, yet his eyes were dry.  
"That is the truth of it, 'Hero'. You say you want to protect the people, yet you have killed more than you will ever save."

Kimblee smirked before standing up. He shrugged up his coat with slightly hurried movements, almost as if he was holding in a great excitement.  
"It's show time." He hissed, glee filling his eyes as he rubbed his tattooed hands together.  
He walked away, leaving the man called Mustang looking broken, yet there was a hard set determination in his eyes.  
He would become the Hero he was called, he would save the people he promised Riza and her father that he would save.  
He would strive to the top, to become Fuhrer. It was owed to everyone; Riza, Master Hawkeye, everyone he had killed.


	2. Trouble Lurking

A maniac's laughter rang out. The screaming of innocents. The terrifying roar of explosions. All of these ran through Roy's ears as he looked down from his spot in Hawkeye's sniper post. Kimblee was stood in the middle of the ruined town square, his manic laughter echoing back over the place as he continuously clapped his hands together, blowing up everything that he touched. Longing to move and help the others, Roy felt a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently as if to offer him strength.  
"No… you can't give away our position." Hawkeye's voice was low even against the raging noise that was happening outside.  
"But he's killing so many, you expect me to sit back and just watch?" Roy hissed, venom leaking from his rage into his voice as he looked up to his lieutenant.  
"For now, yes. Armstrong's team isn't in place yet because we haven't had the signal. You sit and bloody wait, otherwise we'll never catch him." Hawkeye spoke sternly, frowning as she said the words which showed her own contempt for them.  
"I still don't understand why you won't just shoot him, you've brought your gun."  
Riza sighed softly. "Because we want him alive. If I shoot to wound, he'll blow everything up."  
Mustang sighed again, before he looked up at the woman with a frown.  
"Do you hear anything?" He spoke softly, his voice oddly blank and calm.  
"No… why?" As she spoke, Hawkeye gasped softly. The explosions had stopped. The Colonel moved to the window quickly, looking out to the square which once was occupied by Kimblee; who was now gone.  
"Shi-" Mustang broke off as he heard the soft chuckle that was Kimblee. Automatically, he began to spin on his heel, right arm coming up as his fingers assumed the typical clicking pose.  
Time seemed to slow, everyone moving sluggishly and noises all muted. Mustang's click caused a flare of sparks to move up over his fingers, while he used his transmutation circle to separate and isolate the various gases. Instantly the spark took a hold on the flammable products as a flame launched out towards the manic looking Kimblee. His hands were parting, already slamming into the ground as Roy leapt his body back at the same time.  
Time took a hold, movements sped up again as mustang grabbed Hawkeye, using his body as a shielded he hit the ground with her hard, forcing himself to cover every inch of her body with his own in. The explosion of Kimblee and of flames met together with a frightening result; sending the pair into the air once more. The world around them became lost in dust and smoke and a painful buzzing in both of their ears.  
Feeling returned to Mustang gradually, first to his feet and then spreading like warmth up his body. He was aware of something under him, but his eyes were still closed and he could hear nothing.  
"Lieutenant?" He coughed the word out, painfully aware that he could only vaguely hear his own voice. The thing under him moved, causing his eyes to fling open as he sought to focus.  
Riza Hawkeye, dishevelled, dirty, and slightly bloody was laid on her back, and didn't look too bad for wear. He smiled, pleased that he had managed to shield her well enough from the brutal attack. He coughed again, feeling a cloying in his lungs and a lancing pain that spread all over his back. Gradually, he could hear clearer, becoming aware of a husky voice. "Colonel, are you alright? Colonel, answer me…." He focused on Riza's mouth, realising that's where the words were coming from.  
"Lieutenant…" he coughed again, before then grinning weakly at down at her. She smiled back, before she wiggled a hand from between their bodies to cup his face gently.  
"Are you ok?" he looked down to her, eyes black eyes focused on her brown ones which looked up to him with a lightness.  
"I am now."  
He smiled, before falling from her onto his side with a heavy thud.


	3. Heal

The woman was slumped over the bed beside the man's prone body.

Her arms were folded and her head was rested on the fold; the steady rise and fall of her torso proclaiming her to be asleep.

That was the way it had been now for four days. She had either been sat alert or asleep at his side. Havoc smiled from the doorway, looking to the sleeping Riza and the unconscious Roy, laid on his stomach. As his eyes moved over his Colonel, he frowned, thinking of what had caused him to be in this situation.  
The madman; Kimblee. After the Colonel had attacked the Crimson Alchemist, the resultant explosion had caused great damage to his back. Something else had affected him, but nobody had any clue. Medical alchemists and doctors had all tried their best to wake him, but to no effect. He'll wake in his own time was all they could say.

Havoc frowned, before he walked away; feeling like he was intruding upon the sleeping pair for some reason.

A soft sigh moved through Roy's partially parted lips, but it provoked no reaction from Riza; he had often made little movements and noises that were just him sleeping, not a sign of consciousness.

A soft groan was the next noise, followed by a slight twitch from his body.

Riza remained asleep at his side, her sleep unbroken by the waking Mustang.

"L…Lew….Lieutenant..." he muttered softly, his closed eyes screwing up in a frown, before they smoothed out as he partially opened them.

Hs vision was heavily blurred, but he could vaguely make out the shape of the sleeping Riza near his side. Frowning again, Mustang forced his eyes to open wider, fighting the tiredness and the blackness that had threatened to overcome him once more. His limbs were incredibly heavy; they didn't feel like they were his own. However, he forced his arm to nudge into Riza's head with a little less care then he had intended. The girl sat bolt upright, her hand going to her lower back where Mustang knew she had a gun hidden. As the sleep left the girl and awareness returned, she looked to the sleepy face of the Colonel, his smile giving the impression he was drunk.  
"Colonel! You're awake." She smiled to him, resting a hand gently on his bare shoulder making sure that she avoided the burns that ran up and down near her hand.  
"Mhmm…" he muttered, his black eyes looking unfocused and strangely childlike, yet they fought to focus on Hawkeye.  
"Kimblee… we... got him..?" His voice was slurred, but his eyes were beginning to sharpen up giving a slight hope to Riza.  
"You toasted him Colonel… He'll recover, and yes, we got him." She spoke softly to him, a relieved smile stretching over her tired face.  
"Oops… meant… to kill him…" As his words became clearer, Hawkeye smiled at him, laughing shortly at the man.  
"No you didn't…. we had to capture him. We did. You did." She moved her hand from his shoulder back to her lap, aware that anyone could see it as something else.  
"Got to… watch my… 'Hawk's Eye'..." he grinned up at her, before manoeuvring himself so that his arms were under him, muscles tensing as he tried to push himself up. As he rose, a pain shot down his back causing him to spasm just slightly and fall back down on his bed with an attempt at stifling a yell of pain.  
"Colonel!" Riza spoke with concern, her hands coming up to touch him again only to stop when she remembered his back.  
"I'm fine…. I'm fine." He breathed, though he turned his head away so that he wasn't facing his subordinate. Riza sighed again, leaning her hands back to her lap with a dejected sigh.  
"How long before… I can leave?" The Colonel's voice was devoid of feeling, making Riza look up worried.  
"The damage to your back… it was severe… the medical Alchemists did their best, but it's still going to hurt you." She muttered, looking to her folded hands with a slightly teary look. She closed her eyes, feeling the beginning sting of tears which she forced herself to suppress.

A touch at her face made her jump, eyes flickering open and a single tear running down her cheek. She looked to see the Colonel's hand, reaching out form the bed to cup her face while he looked at her with a stern yet also caring intensity.  
"You don't cry for me Lieutenant." He spoke with what he hoped was a stern voice but his eyes said different.  
Hawkeye smiled, moving a hand up to press his to her cheek. Her eyes closed again but she leant closer to him so his stretch was not so great.  
"As you say Colonel." She whispered.


End file.
